London Photographers' Branch

Next Branch Meeting, 27th July: Finding Stolen Images

London Freelance Branch Secretary Mike Holderness will give a visual presentation offering tips on how to use the internet to locate images which have been used without permission and identify who is culpable for the bill. Another speaker on the same subject TBA.

Any motions to the branch should be sent to the branch secretary prior to the meeting.

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At last months branch meeting we heard from film editor Simon Ruben and photographer Edmond Terakopian who talked about how photographers could adapt their workflows to include video and audio. As well as some of the pitfalls that photographers moving to video can fall into.

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Image © James MacKay

Branch member photojournalist, James Mackay, represented by Chez Cotton, head of the Police Misconduct Department, at leading civil rights law firm Bindmans LLP, has succeeded in a complaint against the British Transport Police after he was unlawfully ordered by one of their officers to delete photographs he had taken on the basis that he “was not allowed to photograph the police.”

The journalist, who predominantly works on issues in and surrounding Burma and currently is working with exiled organisations on a global campaign to raise awareness on political prisoners in Burma, was passing through Waterloo mainline station on his way to catch a flight on 8 May 2009 and witnessed a number of Police Community Support Officers (PSCOs) apparently detaining a male.

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Last month the branch held a one day Emergency Life Support Training course tailored to the needs of street photographers. With the time kindly donated by tutor Elliot Rogers from White Star Medical assisted by Clive Wilson.

The certified course covered:

• CPR (pictured)
• Choking
• Recovery Position
• Shock
• Bleeding
• Burns
• Head Injuries
• Managing Medical Emergencies

One photographer said, “An excellent course, covering more than one would hope to deal with in a lifetime” another that it was “invaluable to street photographers”.

The branch plans to run future courses, if you have requests please contact branch Learning Representative Phillip Wolmuth at training@londonphotographers.org

A working group of branch members are to meet tomorrow at 2pm upstairs in the Lucas Arms pub (just across the road from Headland House) to discuss a set of ethics guidelines for the branch to adopt and to pass on to the NUJ Ethics Council.

Members have been looking at two existing sets of guidelines as the basis of discussion so far; The National Press Photographers Association Code of Ethics and Reuters Guide to Standards, Photoshop and Captions.

The working group is open to all branch members and will report it’s findings to the branch as it continues.

Saturday 19 June 2010 was the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) welfare training day hosted by the NUJ Extra charity.

Chair Chris Wheal and administrator Lena Calvert led the afternoon’s discussion on what welfare officers can and should be doing to assist branch members.
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We’ll be supporting this event on Sunday organised by I’m a Photographer, Not a Terrorist!

Yesterday the European Court of Human Rights rejected the governments appeal to it’s decision in January that ruled Section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 in breach of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Although the Home Office has said it is still considering how the ruling effects the law and the police will continue to use it. It’s possible that any Stop & Search under s44 since 12th January 2010 will be open to legal challenge, so hang on to any receipts.

Unfortunately there are still a swathe of laws that police use to harass photographers, most notably s43, which is similar to s44 but requires an officer to suspect that you are a terrorist and s76 which makes it illegal to ‘elicit information about a police officer’ which includes photographing them.

In the meantime we’re going back to the place where our campaign started, outside New Scotland Yard. We’ll be gathering at 12 noon, this Sunday 4th July (Independence Day!) Come along and lets celebrate a little more freedom for photographers.

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After Tuesday’s branch meeting members are also invited to the NUJ Regional Press Awards After Show Party:

NUJ in association with Love Music, Hate Racism presents
The NUJ Regional Press Awards After Show Party

on Tuesday 29th June 2010
from 7.30pm
at Dingwalls, Middle Yard, Camden Lock, London NW1 8AB

with DJ Rugrat

and You’re Invited!

Please feel free to bring along a friend or two and pass it on to your colleagues.

We’re planning an evening of celebration, socialising and dancing and it wouldn’t be the same without you. So, hope to see you there!

Visit the NUJRegionalPressAwards.co.uk for more information about this year’s awards

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A police officer attempts to stop the media reporting on a blockade of the Greek Embassy by Greek and British anarchists in London, England. Image © Marc Vallée 2008

Video: Journalists win payout after police admit failing to respect press freedom – guardian.co.uk

Investigative photojournalist Marc Vallée and videographer Jason Parkinson have received an apology and damages from the Metropolitan Police after being forcibly prevented from working by officers at a political protest outside the Greek Embassy in 2008. Both members received the apology today:

The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has accepted liability for breach of Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The MPS apologise for this and have paid compensation. The MPS confirms its recognition that freedom of the press is a cornerstone of democracy and that journalists have a right to report freely. The MPS recognise that on 8 December 2008 they failed to respect press freedom in respect of Mr Vallée and Mr Parkinson.

The police have accepted liability for breaching Article 10 and made a payment of £3,500 compensation to each and are paying their legal costs.

Responding to the settlement Jeremy Dear, NUJ General Secretary said:

Professional journalists and photographers have detailed numerous attempts by police officers to stifle the reporting of protests. Today we have achieved a significant victory – it is right that the police admit liability, apologise and compensate those whose basic human rights were breached in such a blatant and aggressive manner.

The police need to quickly learn the lessons of these shameful events, recognise the importance of media freedom and take the necessary steps to recognise the press card during police training to ensure it doesn’t happen again. The result is a huge boost for media freedom and the rights of photographers.

On the day of the protest armed officer from the Metropolitan police’s diplomatic protection group pulled Vallée’s camera away from his face and covered the lens of Parkinson’s video camera whilst stating “you cannot film me.”

NUJ Legal Officer Roy Mincoff said:

The police need to learn that journalists and photographers have a right to report and photograph as recognised by the European Court of Human Rights. The NUJ has held the police to account before and will do so again unless all officers at all ranks abide by the law

Chez Cotton, Head of the Police Misconduct department at leading civil rights firm Bindmans LLP said:

It is of grave concern that an armed, diplomatic officer of the Metropolitan Police Force felt it was appropriate to call these journalists ‘scum’ and stop them from working and was happy to do so in full knowledge that he was being filmed.

My clients were physically prevented from reporting on protest and political unrest of international importance.  Just before he was frog marched by officers away from events, Mr Parkinson filmed an officer punching a protester in the side of the head, although the protester appears to be already under the control of several officers.  That the police appeared not to want these journalists to film what appeared to be extremely brutal arrests using force is a cause for further alarm.

Further to this public acknowledgment that his officers have breached the fundamental right of journalists to report, and in light of wide ranging criticisms of how the press were stopped from reporting at G20 and other ‘politically sensitive’ events, it is very much hoped that the Commissioner will take immediate steps to ensure his officers act properly and support rather than obstruct the press in the important role they play in keeping the public informed, including of police wrong doing.

The pair were not disrupting police activity and had not had any contact with the police prior to the incident. They had complied with requests to leave the area but were forcibly removed and told to report from a distance.

Marc is the London Photographers’ Branch Secretary and Legal Rep and Jason is the branch Welfare Officer.

Payback from the DACS royalties scheme opened this week and members have until 17th September to make their claim, more from the press release below:

Don’t miss out on your share of £3 million of Payback royalties

Each year DACS has £3 million of royalties to pay to NUJ members whose work has been reproduced in UK books or magazines or on certain television channels.

DACS negotiates these royalties on behalf of photographers and other visual artists. In 2009 DACS paid out a share of £3 million to 11,628 visual artists.

Did you know?

• The average NUJ member claim was £541, compared with the average Payback claim of £295
• Last year the highest payment made to a NUJ member was £5656 – the most any Payback claimant received in 2009
• Every NUJ member who makes a successful Payback claim is guaranteed a minimum of £25

Where does the money come from?

Payback royalties come from revenue generated through collective licensing schemes. Collective licensing is used in situations where it would be difficult or near impossible for photographers to licence their rights on an individual basis, for example, when an individual wishes to photocopy a page of a book or magazine which features their work.

Payback launches on 21 June and NUJ members have until 17 September to make their claim.

“It’s a win-win situation for NUJ members. All you need to do is fill in a Payback claim form telling us which books, magazines and television programmes your work has featured in. Once you’ve had a successful Payback claim, you can claim for the same published work every year, so the size of your claim could increase if you have new work.” says Nicolas Watkins-Wright, DACS Payback Manager.

Examples of where previous NUJ members’ work has featured includes:

Magazines – Amateur Gardening, BBC Music Magazine, The Journalist, Art Review, The British Medical Journal, Inside Housing, National Geographic and Hello

Books – Essential Psychology, Rough Guide to Portugal, DK How Cool Stuff Works, Transport Systems and Faces of the Century

NUJ members can also claim for work which has featured on any of the following TV channels in 2009 only – BBC 1, 2, 3, 4, BBC News 24, BBC Parliament, CBBC, CBeebies, ITV1, Channel 4, SC4 and Channel 5

The easiest way to claim is to fill in the form online at dacs.org.uk. Alternatively they can request a claim form to be sent to them by post or email.

For further information about Payback or to request a claim form contact the Payback team on 020 7553 9062 or email payback@dacs.org.uk